Forever, Love
by ncislove
Summary: A tribute to Jack. Gibbs/Abby first time. We all deal with grief in different ways.


Wow, 50 Fics! I was going to make number 50 a long, evil-hat filled piece of drama with cliff hangers to make even the toughest readers want to pull their hair. Then my most favorite, Jackson Gibbs actor, Ralph Waite passed away. I figure fic number 50 would be dedicated to him. Less drama, zero evil hat, but worth the idea that I've publish 50 stories, just shy of one million words (on this site – I have a few drabbles and Christmas fics on the Gabby forums that might push me over a million) mostly about Gibbs and Abby and their love (or finding love). I've always loved writing Jack into my fics and with the exception of this and when I hit this ep. In my Gibbs/Abby/Tony series, I likely won't write about him as though he's passed away.

Mr Waite was an absolute class-actand I will forever cherish the letter and autograph I received from him in December of 2009.

Goodnight Mr. Waite

* * *

Gibbs let out a long sigh and stared at the phone in his hands. He knew it would happen eventually, but even so, he hadn't been expecting the phone call. Not yet.

Tempted to go lose himself in the basement, he first flipped open his phone and dialed a familiar number.

"_Hey Gibbs,"_ Abby greeted happily. He was always amazed that she sounded so genuinely happy to talk to him, no matter the reason for his call, nor the time of call. "We catch a case?"

"Abby…" He immediately regretted the tone he used. He could easily sense the tension coiling inside before she could even respond.

"_Gibbs are… are you okay?" _

"Jack… Jack's dead," he sighed. He wasn't big on sharing bits of his personal life, but Abby had been quite close to his father, spending extra time around his house while Jack was in town. He heard a quiet gasp and then nothing. "You still there?"

He could hear her breathingbut it took a moment before she spoke again. "How… when?"

"Ed called. Store didn't open. Shirley up at the diner called Ed after lunch. He went down to take a look, found Jack in bed. Looks like he died in his sleep."

"Gibbs…" he could hear the built up emotion in her voice. "I'm so… so sorry."

"Thanks Abbs," he tried to think of something else to say. "I don't know about a service yet, but once I do…"

"I'll be there," she interrupted. "We all will."

He would feel better with his family by his side. Without anything else to say, he said goodbye and hung up. He wanted to go to the basement and lose himself in a bottle of bourbon, but the last place he'd spent time with his father was in the basement. Jack had been adamant about introducing him to an old war friend – a German pilot that had saved his life. After talking to Mr. Beck, the two men had retreated to the basement for a drink and so Jack could fill him in on the entire story.

He took comfort that his father's passing had come in his sleep. He chose to believe it was quick and painless – the perfect way to go. He had spoken to his father just days ago, Jack excited for an upcoming community event. His father had always been involved in the community and any chance to socialize outside the setting of his store was something he looked forward to. They had made it to a comfortable place in their relationship. Gibbs, the younger, had made it to a point where he had been able to forgive his father for his earlier actionsand they had steadily built up their relationship over the past four years. Not to say that they didn't have their struggles, but their respect had grown by miles compared to the tense first meeting in nearly twenty years.

Gibbs was about to get up to pour himself a drink when he heard the door knob jiggle and watched as a red-eyed Abby let herself in.

"Abbs," he'd barely made it to his feet before she was hugging him, holding herself so tightly to him he was afraid that one or both of them might break. But at the first choked sob, he found himself holding her close, one hand tangled in her hair as she buried her fact against his neck as she cried. He couldn't remember the last time he'd allowed himself to cry, he preferred to instead drown his emotion in the bottle, but seeing Abby so upset pushed him closer to the edge of allowing himself to let go. It didn't make sense in his brain, but he couldn't help the wave of guilt – it was his phone call, after all, that had led to this. But he knew he couldn't keep it a secret. Hiding his father's passing, the way Ducky had done so about his mother would have been worse on herand he wasn't sure she would ever forgive him if she'd found out on her own. Ever since discovering her adoption, she had grown closer to his father. Without having known her own blood relatives, it was even easier to use Jack as a stand-in for the father she'd lost at a young age.

Jack had taken the roll proudly, often calling Abby before his own son to chat about small town gossip. While she wasn't able to visit often, she knew most all the major players in Stillwater by name – some from the case that had brought them to town when they first met, and others through Jack's description. She always listened with enthusiasm, adding her own comments and asking questions when she was unclear. Unlike his son, Abby was happy to hear the latest about Stillwater. Gibbs was more interested in how Jack was doing with the store and health-wise. He never expected Jack to willingly leave the store for retirement, but he'd hoped to get the older man to consider bringing in a partner, someone to lessen some of the load.

As Abby cried herself out, Gibbs maneuvered her to the couch; sitting her down and pulling away long enough to pour them both coffee from the pot he'd started just before Ed called. "Sorry," she sniffed. "I wasn't going to come over, but then…" she shrugged and looked away, both worried she'd start to cry again and a little embarrassed at letting her get so emotional over something that was likely harder on the man whose house she'd just invaded.

Gibbs shook his head and set their mugs on the coffee table for sitting next to her and pulling her back into his arms. "Don't be sorry," he started.

"I know, it's a sign of weakness, but-"

"No," he stopped her, "because there is nothing to be sorry for. You cared for him too, you're allowed to grieve."

"Ed said he went in his sleep?" She sniffled.

"Mmhmm," he nodded. "It's what he would have wanted. He would have died from a broken heart if he'd had to leave the home he's lived in for the past 60 years. He was happy, Abby. He didn't suffer."

"Should make it easier," she sniffled again, "but somehow… it doesn't." She was quiet for a moment and then tensed. "No," suddenly she pulled back and straightened up. "I'm going to be strong for you, Gibbs."

Gibbs smiled and reached out to touch her cheek with his fingers, brushing away the last of the tears that had fallen. "We all grieve in our own ways, Abbs. You don't have to grieve quietly or keep it in for my sake."

She shook her head. "You shouldn't have to worry about me or have me sobbing on your shoulder while you're trying to deal with your own emotions. I'm sorry Gibbs," she looked embarrassed.

"No," he let his hand drop to hers and linked their fingers together. "Even when you're crying you do a good job of reminding me that there is always something worth living for."

First she let out a weak laugh and then frowned. "Jesus, Gibbs. You're going to make me cry again."

"Whatever you need to do," he murmured as he pulled her into another hug and pressed his lips to the top of her head. They sat together quietly, neither touching their coffee, as they thought. Every so often Abby would let out a little sniffle, only for Gibbs to hold her tighter. And it wasn't until late, much later, that Gibbs started to move. "Let's go upstairs, we both need some sleep."

Abby chastised herself silently for briefly letting her mind wander to the fact that he had implied they would share his bed. She'd loved him her whole life, it seemed like, and while it wasn't even close to any circumstance where she fancied herself being invited to her bed, she couldn't believe she let herself go there – however brief the thought was.

It was lateand Gibbs wasn't sure if he would sleep, but he knew Abby needed the rest and he hoped that by lying down together, she would relax enough to let herself relax. They both changed –him into sweatpants and a tee and her into just an oversized shirt. He was momentarily distracted by the idea of her long, bare legs within reach, but it didn't take much to remember the way she'd been crying downstairs. As much as he was more than just attracted to her, his over-protectiveness always won out when it came to Abbyand he quickly found himself more concerned over her grief than any possible attraction he might feel.

She snuggled into his arms and let out a trembling sigh as she tried to keep from crying again. "I'll call Leon in the morning, I need to go up and get things going for a memorial. I'll call Duck too," he figured he owed his friend that much. "And I need to figure out what to do with the store and his house. Can you tell the team? Might be a few days." He wasn't keen on spending a few days in Stillwater without his father, but he couldn't avoid it either. A few last nights in his childhood room to say goodbye wouldn't be easy, but he knew he would regret it if he didn't.

* * *

While it took him awhile to finally fall asleep, Gibbs was surprised that he was able to sleep at all. The sun was just beginning to peek through the curtains when he stirred, automatically moving closer to the warmth of the body he was snuggled up against. It took him a moment to remember everything from the evening before – the phone call from Ed, the call to Abby and then having her show up at his front door. He remembered her tears and the way she held tightly to him and the way she tried to be strong for him, fighting against her own emotions.

He felt her tense and then relax moments before she spoke. "It wasn't a dream, was it?"

"No," he whispered softly, his eyes still closed. He could feel the grief tugging at the edges of his consciousness, but for the moment he was able to fight it off as he focused on the woman still curled in his arms.

"I should get going," she said eventually, still not pulling away.

Gibbs nodded even though she was facing away from him. "I should call Leon."

"I'll talk to the others," she confirmed his request from the night before as she slowly pulled away and sat up. "Anything else?"

"No."

Slipping out of bed, Abby grabbed her clothes from the night before. "Call me when you-"

"I will," he said as he watched her disappear into the bathroom. She appeared again a few minutes later as he was grabbing a clean while shirt from the dresser, hovering awkwardly in the doorway. "Hmm?" He knew that if he didn't prompt her into speaking, she was likely to leave without saying what she needed to say.

She glanced around and then shrugged. "Thanks for letting me stay."

Walking over, Gibbs tugged her into a hug and pressed a kiss to the shell of her ear. "Thanks for staying."

She looked like she was about to say something else, but instead she turned and headed down the stairs. He waited until he heard the front door open and close before gathering the rest of the clothes and heading for the shower. Once he was out, he make a brief call to Leon and then to Ducky. The director offered as much time off as he needed and Ducky had already over-heard Abby telling the team. He offered his condolences and assistance in way Gibbs might need. Gibbs thanked him and hung up before heading for the coffee machine. With rush-hour being at its worst, Gibbs opted for coffee and a bite to eat while he read the paper and then headed upstairs to pack. Once he was sure he could drive relatively close to the speed limit, he loaded his truck and headed north to Stillwater.

He'd told Ed he had keys to both the house and shop, but they he'd call once he arrived to talk about Jack's will and how to proceed with the service. It was a long, quiet, four hours to Stillwater. No music, no news – just lost in his own thoughts on the time he missed out on with his father during the 20 year break in their relationship, but also the good times he'd had since the case brought him home four years prior.

As he pulled in to the small town, he drove first past the general store Jack owned. Outside, flowers and candles had begun to collect in front of the large window Gibbs had replaced only two years ago after Paloma and her men had shot up the store front. Jack was a well loved and respected member of Stillwater, so Gibbs wasn't surprised to see the town turning out to remember one of their long-time residents.

He circled around to the block behind where the house and garage sat. He was surprised to see two cars parked in front, but as he got closer he recognized the NCIS Charger and a second unfamiliar car. Tony was the first to spot his approach and get out of the car. Gibbs pulled up alongside the Charger and turned to see Tony, Abby, Ducky and Ellie get out of the Charger and McGee and Delilah get out of the second car.

"Figured you might need some help," Tony offered.

He could read the tension on Tony's face, unsure if they were welcome or making things worse.

"We weren't sure what we could do, but we wanted to help," Delilah said once McGee helped her from his car into her chair. "You've helped us all in various ways, so we thought we'd return the favor."

Gibbs swallowed hard against the lump in his throat, surprising himself by smiling. He would never ask for help, family stuff was difficult for almost his entire team, all for different reasons, but it was times that this that they truly surprised him, that he realized how much of a family they were.

"Come on," he cleared his throat and dug the keys from his pocket and let them in his father's house. They were just closing the door when he saw the Sheriff pull up.

Gibbs headed out front and took Ed's outstretched hand and accepted his condolences. "Whole town is a mess over losing Jack."

Gibbs nodded. "He had a will, but pretty much everything went to you. There is a list of a couple people who might be interested in running the store if you're interested in selling, but there are a bunch of tax things to figure out first. Unless you plan to run it, it'll be closed until you figure it out."

Gibbs nodded.

"Well, I'll leave you to it then. Someone from the church will be around later this evening to discuss a service. He'd already planned most of it with the Church, but you need to pick a date and a couple other things."

Again Gibbs nodded.

"Again, I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thanks Ed." Gibbs watched him leave and then shut the door, turning to face his team.

"You know," Ellie started. "There is a probably some perishable stuff in the store. Maybe Delilah and I could open up for a few hours and see what sells. Might get rid of some of the stuff so it won't have to be tossed."

Delilah nodded. "I worked at a café all through college, so I'm pretty good with a cash register."

"Yeah, sure. Abby knows the store," he handed over the keys. "She'll get you set up." He watched them go and then turned to McGee, Tony and Ducky. "A lot of stuff in this house, should probably start upstairs."

They all followed him upstairs. Gibbs peeked into his old room and then shut the door. He would do that on his own later. He started Tony and McGee in the office, asking them to sort all the paperwork by year while he and Ducky when to find something for Jack to be buried in and then to box up the clothes.

They worked quietly for much of the day, Ducky's occasional question breaking the silence. Tony popped in with an occasional question, but it wasn't until someone from the church came over that Gibbs said more than a couple words. Bringing Abby, they walked to the church to finalize a few music and flower choices as well as write up a brief announcement for the local paper.

It was past dinner time before they were finished and Gibbs suggested picking up dinner for the team at the diner where Jack went for pie every weekend. Shirley offered dinner free of charge, but Gibbs refused, arguing that Jack wouldn't stand for it. Together they carried burgers and fries back for everyone and they gathered around Jack's table.

Ellie and Delilah closed up the shop to join them and they sat around sharing memories of Jack. Gibbs was mostly quiet, happy to just listen. Everyone seemed to have great memories of his father and while he didn't say anything, it was good to focus on the happy parts. They had made good progress over the years, but the wounds had run deeps and while he had forgiven his father for most everything, the memories still hurt.

He wasn't sure if he believed in heaven. He wanted to, wanted to believe that he'd one day be reunited with Shannon and Kelly, wanting nothing more than to swing his daughter into the air while she giggled uncontrollably. But with all the bad things he'd witnessed in the world, it was hard to know what he truly believed in. As his only grandchild, it was clear that Kelly was his number one priority from the moment she was born. He tried to imagine Jack with his girls and found himself almost overwhelmed with both grief and jealousy.

Needing a moment, Gibbs got up and moved to the living room, trying to create some space.

"Uh, boss…"

"It's getting late," Gibbs cleared his throat. "You guys should head home."

"I'll just clean up," Tony stood to gather the garbage from the table. They were all finished and just sitting around chatting.

"No, I'll get it. You've done a lot today. Thank you."

"Family, boss. We're family. Anyway," Tony ran his fingers through his hair. "We're all at the hotel down by the interstate. What time should we be back tomorrow?"

Gibbs didn't want to answer, wasn't sure he could.

"The hotel offers breakfast," Ducky interrupted, sensing Gibbs' struggles. "We'll be back after breakfast, around ten." He didn't think Gibbs would sleep in, but it would give him some quiet time around the house first thing in the morning.

Gibbs listened to everyone as they gathered their jackets and headed for the door. He both wanted to be alone, but at the same time, he was almost terrified of the emotions he was sure would bubble up without anyone around. "Abby…" he ground out, unable to turn and face anyone. He heard her mumble something to Tony as everyone else filed out and then listened to her footsteps as she approached, slowly touching his shoulder first and then running her hand down his arm to link her fingers with his and squeeze his hand. "Stay," he whispered.

"Okay," she had just agreed when the door opened and Tony peeked his head back in. "You can just leave it there by the door," she said, nodding when Tony put her overnight back just inside before heading out to the car. "It's okay," she said, resting her forehead against his shoulder. "You don't have to hold back what you're feeling."

Gibbs took a deep breath and shook his head, pushing away enough of the grief to be able to speak. "It just brings up a lot of memories, packing away someone's life."

"Shannon and Kelly?" She asked cautiously.

"Yeah." Dropping her hand, Gibbs went to the couch and sat down, his head bent forward.

Abby dropped to her knees in front of him and picked up his hands again. "Tell me how to help you, Gibbs. Whatever it is, please let me help. It's awful to have lost Jack, but it's tearing me up to see you so hurt," she sniffed. She knew there was nothing she could do, but she had to say it anyway.

"You help," Gibbs looked up and brushed away a tear from her cheek. "Just being here, you help."

Unsure if she believed him Abby started at him a moment before getting up to sit beside him, curling up to him as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. They sat for a while before Gibbs got up and grabbed a box. There were a few items in the living room that he wanted to bring home – items from Jack's time in the Air Force and a few things from Jack's parents. He picked up a photo of Kelly from a shelf and turned to show it to Abby. "Jack let her get away with anything when she was here to visit. Drove Shannon and I crazy. From the time she was three, he was handing her candy under the table long before she'd even looked at the vegetables on her plate."

Abby laughed. "That's what grandpa's are for."

"I guess." Gibbs placed the photo in the box of things he wanted to bring home. There were several books he wanted to bring as well, but he would do that the next day. He picked up a photo of his parents and went to put it in the box, but suddenly he froze.

"Gibbs..?"

Gibbs turned to look at her. "There are some things that belonged to my mother, I'd like you to take a look, see if there is anything you'd like." He nodded toward the stairs and started up toward his father's room.

Abby followed and found him standing at the dresser at the foot of his father's bed. There was a large wooden jewelry box. Gibbs opened it and pulled something out and slipped it into his pocket before turning to Abby. "Anything in here you like, anything at all. I'd rather it go to you than donate it."

She didn't know much about older jewelry, but some of the items looked really nice. "You could probably sell some of this, this looks really nice."

Gibbs shrugged and turned away, unsure of how to explain that he didn't like the idea of someone else wearing these items. At least with Abby he knew, respected, loved… her. These were all item's Jack had planned to share with Kelly. A few items had already been passed to Shannon, but she'd had her own family jewelry items. "I'd rather they go to someone I know."

It was more than Abby could handle at the moment so she slowly lowered the lid. "Can I sort through it later, I just don't feel like I can… it's a lot right now."

Gibbs no

"It's been a long day," he commented. "I'll go grab your bag."

"Yeah, yeah that's fine. We can put it in my truck tomorrow and take it back to D.C."

"Thanks." Suddenly Abby noticed a photo of the team from the first visit to Stillwater. "What a twist of fate to bring you up here," her voice wavered.

Gibbs wrapped an arm around her shoulder and picked up the photo. "We had our differences, but I'm glad we came up."

"Me too." She sucked in a quick breath before continuing. "I'm going to miss him, Gibbs," she said as she started to cry.

"I know," Gibbs pulled her into a hug. "I know."

"It's not fair, I wish I didn't love people, because it hurts too much to lose them and it makes me feel like I've died inside, only I haven't because it hurts to much, but it hurts too much to feel alive too," she sobbed.

"You wouldn't be my Abbs if you didn't love people the way you do, if you didn't feel things the way you do. Don't stop being my Abbs." Gibbs tried to reassure her. He didn't know anyone who felt anything more deeply than Abby did.

"I just don't want to hurt anymore, I don't," she sighed. "How do you stay so strong, I know you're hurting." She pulled back to look at him, hoping for some idea of how to deal with the pain.

"Because you're here. I can hold myself together because you're here."

"Should I go? You need to deal with your emotions, too." She started to pull further away, he was her strength. Around him, the pain was lessened and she felt safe. But he could hold his emotions in to put her at ease. The very thought made her feel guilty.

"No!" Gibbs reached out to grip her shoulder. "Don't… don't go. I need you here. I… I need you."

Abby took a slow step forward and pressed up on her toes to kiss Gibbs' cheek, letting her lips linger. "I'm here, whatever you need."

"You're here, that's what I need." He settled his hands on her hips and turned his head just enough to brush his lips against hers before wrapping his arms more firmly around her and kissing her forehead. "You remind me that I'm still alive, still have something to live for," he added. When he'd received the phone call, he felt a familiar feeling of having nothing left, but looking around his own living room, filled with memories of his NCIS family, he remembered that he had people worth living for. It would take him awhile to really feel alive again, but it was worth trying. "Can't be in here anymore," he murmured against her temple and tugged her by the hand out of his father's bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Abby followed him to his childhood bedroom and was momentarily distracted from Gibbs as she looked around the room that looked like it hadn't been touched since the younger Gibbs left – except for regular dusting. "This is like a museum of you," she marveled, dropping his hand as she slowly circled the room looking at everything on the shelves and the item on the dresser.

Through the grief, Gibbs was amused at her wide-eye wonder as she took everything in.

"You haven't changed," she turned with a smile from a collection of baseball cards and a signed football. "The sports memorabilia, the cars…" she pointed to hand painted model car on the dresser, "and… the marines," she nodded to a stack of books on the history of the marines.

Gibb smiled and shrugged. "I've changed a bit."

"Maybe a little," she continued to look around and then walked back to him. "You're older, you've been through some bad things, seen some bad stuff. It changes your outlook, but it doesn't change who you are," she rested her palm flat on his chest. "Experiences changes our outlook, maybe our reaction, but it doesn't change the fundamentals of who you are. Kind, caring, loyal. You didn't learn that at NCIS. It's always been who you are."

"Writing my personal ad?" He cocked a half grin.

"No," she shook her head. "Don't want to write you a personal ad, someone might take you away from me."

"Nah," he shook his head. "Would never happen," he said as he leaned in to nuzzle her cheek.

"We spending the night in here?"

"You okay with that?" He wasn't going to push her for something she didn't want or wasn't ready for. He wanted her everything, wanted her to make him feel alive, but he refused to pressure her into it because of her own grief.

"The bed is rather small," she wrapped her arms around his middle.

Gibbs shrugged again. "Gives me an excuse to hold you closer."

"You don't need an excuse, Gibbs. Don't even need to ask. Anything you want, Gibbs. _Anything."_

He knew what she was offering but he didn't know how to accept. He wanted to be clear that this was about more than grief. As much as he needed the comfort she was offering, he needed her to know that his grief was only a catalyst for something he'd been hiding for years. He wanted her now because he wanted to forget, but he wanted her every day from now on because he couldn't see himself with anyone else and the idea that someone might swoop in and steal her away weighed heavily on him every single time she mentioned plans outside of work.

Unable to form the words he so desperately wanted, Gibbs leaned in to kiss her again, he would worry later. The kiss started slow and Abby was content to let him take the lead. He pulled away momentarily to catch his breath as the kiss came to a natural end and when he leaned in to kiss her again, he let his heart take over, instead of his head.

Abby gasped at the sudden change of intensity. Gibbs had always been intense – from interrogation to the focus on his boat, but to finally find herself the focus of his intensity was almost more than she could handle.

"Abby..?" Gibbs pulled away, worried he'd done something wrong.

"No," Abby gripped the front of his shirt. "I just… it's a lot, I've waited for a long time for you to kiss me like that. Just…" she didn't know what to say, so she pulled him in for another kiss instead.

They kept the kiss slower this time, but with just as much passion. Abby tugged his shirt from his pants and they separated long enough for him to help her tug the polo and undershirt up over his head. Gibbs kissed her again and then pressed his forehead to hers, his breathing heavy as he worked his belt buckle open. "You're sure, Abbs?"

"Of course," she leaned in to press a kiss to the center of his chest, hoping to put him at ease.

"It's more than just grief," he tried. "It's more…"

"I know that too," she nodded before pulling her own shirt over her head. She slipped out of her shoes downstairs so as Gibbs stepped out of his pants, she sat on the edge of the bed to pull her socks off and then stood again to wiggle free of the tight jeans she was wearing.

Gibbs felt rooted to the spot as Abby stripped. She wasn't intentionally giving him a show, but her movements were delicate and he felt his heart begin to race, the more skin she offered. She was smiling at him when his eyes finally made it back to hers. "You look like you've never seen a half-naked woman before," she teased.

"Not one this beautiful," he breathed, his eyes wandering back to her long, pale legs and he found himself wondering how he'd been able to sleep next to her the night before without issue.

"Does that line work on all the ladies?" She teased.

"Abby," he growled a warning as he approached. He rested his hands on her shoulders and gently spun her around so he could open the clasp on her bra. Abby tossed the offending material aside and let Gibbs turn her toward him again. He knew her shape well – Abby often wore tight and fairly revealing outfits, but to finally let his eyes feast upon her bare breasts, Gibbs found himself speechless.

Abby shivered under his intense gaze, causing Gibbs to reach out and touch her soft skin. He ran his knuckles over her nipples as they hardened against his touch. "So much I want to do for you," he moved closer and lowered his head to press his lips along her collar bone. So many ways to bring her pleasure, he didn't know where to start.

"Gibbs," she wrapped her arms around him, pushing one of her hands up into his hair, cradling him close. She didn't want him to worry about her, this was about him. "What do you need?"

Gibbs sighed as her body pressed against his, he warm skin soothing his worries. He let his hands fall to her hips and slipped his hands under her underwear to cup her ass and hold her close. He was hard, and even with their underwear keeping them from truly being connected, he found himself nestled tightly against her warmth. "Just need you."

Abby pulled away and motioned to the bed. "Take off your underwear and lie down on your front. Let me take care of you."

Gibbs glanced down at the growing bulge. "You want me to lie on my front?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Think of Vance or… Fornell or something like that." When Gibbs frowned, Abby laughed. "I can step out for a moment, I need to go grab my overnight bag anyway. Just… let me do this, take care of you." She wanted to reach out and touch him again, but she kept her distance.

Gibbs nodded and watched as Abby pulled his shirt on and headed down stairs. He took a deep breath and pulled back the covers on the small bed. Like Abby requested, he took off his underwear and situated himself on his stomach and rested his head on his arms, keeping an eye on the door for her return.

Abby returned a few minutes later and Gibbs' breath caught in his throat at the sight of her in his shirt, making him resituate his hips against the firm mattress. "Good thing I went down, we hadn't locked up before coming up," she dropped her bag off to the side as she closed the door behind her and then bend to dig through her bag. She produced a small lotion bottle and tossed it to the bed, gently hitting Gibbs' in the side with him, causing him to tense at the touch of the cold plastic. "Sorry," she laughed as she pulled his shirt off and then moved closer to the bed, and just out of his view to pull her underwear off. She climbed onto the bed to straddle his hips with a knee on either side.

"I'm not trying to completely control the situation, but let's at least let you relax a bit first, okay?" With a quiet nod from Gibbs she squirted a bit of lotion in her hands to warm it before spreading it across his well-toned back. She could see he was visibly tense, but as she slowly worked across his shoulder the tension began to ease. Suddenly the steady breaths he'd been taking seemed to have stopped. "Gibbs?"

Gibbs shook his head and pressed his face into the pillow as he took a ragged breath. Realizing that he was trying not to cry, Abby leaned forward and stretched her body out over his and hugged herself as close as tight as possible, repeatedly pressing kisses to his shoulder and neck while whispering that everything would be okay.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed – a minute, five minutes, twenty? – Gibbs started to shift below her. Abby rolled off to the side to allow him to get up, but was surprised when he instead shifted over her. He covered her body with his own, his lips seeking out hers in a bruising kiss. He touched her all over, his fingers dipping between her thighs briefly before pulling her leg up over his hip and guiding himself inside of her.

Her quiet gasp mirrored the groan he let fall from his lips once they were connected.

"You don't have to be quiet," he panted. No one else was in the house to hear them.

Abby stared at him a moment before squeezing her eyes shut as she realized what he was implying. "I'm sorry."

Gibbs shook his head. "Don't be."

With his next thrust, Abby cried out and clutched his shoulders as her body shook. "More," she purred, wrapping her legs around him and spurring him on with her heels.

Gibbs was happy to oblige, losing himself in the warmth of her body as she encourage him to let go. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he chided himself lack of finesse, but Abby didn't seem to mind and with every thrust he found himself closer to heaven than he'd ever been.

Abby was panting heavily when he stilled and gazed down at her. Her hair was a mess and what little make-up she'd been wearing was smudged. With such little space in a single bed, he had to be careful when he turned them so Abby was on top. The stress of the day was taking its toll and Gibbs wasn't sure how much longer he'd last. With situated on top, Gibbs found some renewed energy at the sight of her naked body over his. She straddled him gently, tossing her head back with a moan as he filled her again.

"Next time I want to explore every inch," he murmured, tracing the tattoo over her hip, his fingers detouring from the ink to seek out her clit as she watched with lust filled eyes.

"Next time," she agreed, her body trembling under his gentle touch. "Gibbs…" he wasn't encouraging her orgasm, but the tenderness of his touch and the raw emotion on his face was enough to set her body on fire again. She briefly wondered if anyone had seen the intensity of emotion he was showing her now and her heart both broke for him, yet soared at the amount of trust he was putting in her.

Settling his hands on her hips again, he bumped his upwards encouraging her to start to move. "Take what you need, Abbs… I've got you."

Abby leaned forward to steady herself with her hands on either side of his head as she pressed her hips against his, lifted herself slightly and then pushed back down.

Guiding her hips, Gibbs knew when she was getting the right amount of friction over her clit. She cried out again and her arms threatened to give way. His own control wavering, Gibbs encouraged her to let go, and eventually pushed a hand between them to bring her off. It only took the lightest touch before Abby fell forward, crying his name as her body tensed and her inner muscles fluttered around him. Moments later she was offering the same encouragement. "I got you Gibbs, it's your turn… let it go."

Gibbs came with a shout, his body first stilling and then curling around her the best he could as he felt every last drop of energy drain from his body. By the time his mind started to work again, they were on their sides, clinging to each other like someone was on either side trying to pull them apart.

"I love you, Abby," they were both breathing heavily when he spoke, then kissed her forehead and pulled her impossibly closer.

Unable to get the words out, Abby dipped her head to press her lips to his chest above his thunderous heart.

By the time she was able to speak, they had shifted and Gibbs had reluctantly let himself fall from her body. He was on his back with Abby curled into his side. Her leg was draped over his and her arm across his chest. His arm was wrapped tightly around her, his hand woven up into her hair and his other hand wrapped around the one resting on his chest. "Gibbs?"

"Hmm..?"

"I know you can't promise forever, but-"

Gibbs was quick to interrupt. "I can't promise to live forever, but I can promise that I will love you forever. And however long I'm on this earth, I'm yours." There was an age different and his job was more dangerous than most. He would be dumb not to recognize that Abby would say goodbye to him someday and judging by the worry in her voice, she knew the likelihood as well.

"That's good enough for me, Gibbs." Abby nodded, seemingly happy with his declaration. "I'll love you forever, too."

* * *

The End


End file.
